34 ICSA TODAY 32
service of city courts [sic] said on Thursday. ...According to the
court findings, the Jehovah’s Witnesses administrative center in
Russia transferred an estate on the shore of the Gulf of Finland to
the Society as a donation in 2000. Later on, however, it continued
using the compound—a fact proceeding from which the court
recognized the transfer null and void. The real estate will be
turned over to government property. The Supreme Court of the
Russian Federation declared the Russian affiliation of Jehovah’s
Witnesses an extremist organization and banned its activities in
this country.” (Tass, 12/08/17)
Hotline gets dozens of reports of sexual abuse among
Jehovah’s Witnesses
“A hotline established just over a month ago for victims of sexual
abuse within the community of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, already
received around 80 reports, co-founder Frank Huiting confirmed
to the Telegraaf. Fifty reports came directly to the Reclaimed
Voices Foundation hotline. The other 30 came in through
newspaper Trouw, which reported on this issue several times
over the past months. … The Foundation’s main goal is to expose
sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses, especially with
child victims. According to Huiting, abuse within the community
occurs more often than the average in society. He attributes
this to ‘higher risk factors, such as a strong hierarchy and high
social pressure.’ Huiting himself was also sexually abused in the
Jehovah’s Witnesses community as a child. According to him, the
central management of the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t handle
reports about abuse well. ‘Matters are resolved internally. Much
remains concealed. They impose any sanctions themselves, but
they never make matters public. This increases the chance that a
pedophile can remain active.’” (NL Times, 12/28/17)
Jehovah’s Witnesses to settle sex-abuse case
“A lawsuit is now settled between a former victim of sexual abuse
and Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to the court’s website, the
case is under a ‘conditional settlement.’ The terms and conditions
of the settlement are not public. José Lopez filed the lawsuit
back in 2012, nearly 20 years after church elder Gonzalo Campos
molested him and several other young children who were
members of the Linda Vista congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
… In 2009, five other alleged victims sued the Watchtower and
Bible and Tract Society of New York, the governing body of
Jehovah’s Witnesses, over the molestation by Campos and the
Watchtower’s refusal to act. That case settled for an undisclosed
amount in 2012, the same year that Lopez filed his lawsuit and a
year before another victim, Osbaldo Padron, filed his. … ‘In our
meeting with him he said he was very repentant for what he
did,’ wrote an elder at Linda Vista’s congregation to Watchtower
headquarters in New York in 1999. ‘He stated that he wanted to
return to Jehovah. He is willing to face the victims and ask their
forgiveness. He now wants to obey Jehovah. Before, when he
would speak to people on the platform he would not meditate
on what he was doing. Although he needed to confess, he felt
shameful and had fear of mankind. He would deceive himself
thinking that he could continue serving as an elder. Now he
realized that he could not change without help. Ever since his
expulsion he has not abused anyone. He has read articles of the
publications regarding his sin. He says he does not see or read
pornographic information. He stated that ever since expulsion
he has worked on having a relationship with Jehovah and the
expulsion has served to strengthen him spiritually. He does not
miss meetings, and he even takes notes of the program. He also
said that he is willing to continue accepting Jehovah’s discipline.’
… Lopez’s attorney, Irwin Zalkin, did not respond to a request
for comment prior to publication of this article. There is no word
yet whether Padron’s case has also been settled. A hearing is
scheduled for next month.” (San Diego Reader, 01/12/18)
Russian court not to proceed with appeal against Jehovah’s
Witness property seizure
“The Sestrotretsky District court of St. Petersburg has ruled not
to proceed with an appeal against confiscation of property of
the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, banned in Russia, valued
at 881.5 million rubles (about $15.5 million), until February 9,
RAPSI learnt in the court on Friday. … The appeal was filed by
the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania,
registered in the U.S., which is the recipient of the liquidated
organization’s property [an agreement the Russian court had
concluded was fraudulent in an earlier ruling]. The Jehovah’s
Witnesses assets included 16 property items in St. Petersburg,
according to prosecutors. … In April 2017, the Supreme Court of
Russia ordered liquidation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses managing
organization and all its 395 local branches. In August, the
Administrative Centre of Jehovah’s Witnesses was added to the
list of banned extremist organizations.” (Rapsi, 01/19/18)
Convicted rapist church leader Jeong Myeong-seok soon to
be released
“Self-proclaimed messiah … Jeong [Myeong-seok, a convicted
rapist] is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the rape
and sexual assault of five women across several Asian countries.
The victims were his followers and were told they could be
purified by becoming Jeong’s ‘spiritual brides’ and having sex with
him. The JMS organisation has claimed there are 300 affiliated
churches and more than 100,000 followers in Korea. It also claims
that there are over 10,000 believers around the world and it
operates in a number of other countries including Australia, the
United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan and
Japan. … Recruiters are especially active in university campuses
and shopping centres, often luring young females by offering
them modelling or dancing opportunities, bible study classes or
even sports groups. … Australian Peter Daley is a lecturer in Korea
and has been running an anti-JMS website called jmscult.com for
nearly 15 years. The website provides all the English information
about how JMS operates and how it indoctrinates people. Daley
witnessed the group first-hand when he taught English in the
Korean county of Geumsan in 2002 and claims they are a cult.
… Speaking to SBS Korean Mr Daley warns that Providence will
become more active once Jeong is released next month as it is
a huge moment for his followers, who consider him as a god.
‘Jeong’s release coincides with the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics
and the organisation traditionally uses big events as a recruitment
service of city courts [sic] said on Thursday. ...According to the
court findings, the Jehovah’s Witnesses administrative center in
Russia transferred an estate on the shore of the Gulf of Finland to
the Society as a donation in 2000. Later on, however, it continued
using the compound—a fact proceeding from which the court
recognized the transfer null and void. The real estate will be
turned over to government property. The Supreme Court of the
Russian Federation declared the Russian affiliation of Jehovah’s
Witnesses an extremist organization and banned its activities in
this country.” (Tass, 12/08/17)
Hotline gets dozens of reports of sexual abuse among
Jehovah’s Witnesses
“A hotline established just over a month ago for victims of sexual
abuse within the community of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, already
received around 80 reports, co-founder Frank Huiting confirmed
to the Telegraaf. Fifty reports came directly to the Reclaimed
Voices Foundation hotline. The other 30 came in through
newspaper Trouw, which reported on this issue several times
over the past months. … The Foundation’s main goal is to expose
sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses, especially with
child victims. According to Huiting, abuse within the community
occurs more often than the average in society. He attributes
this to ‘higher risk factors, such as a strong hierarchy and high
social pressure.’ Huiting himself was also sexually abused in the
Jehovah’s Witnesses community as a child. According to him, the
central management of the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t handle
reports about abuse well. ‘Matters are resolved internally. Much
remains concealed. They impose any sanctions themselves, but
they never make matters public. This increases the chance that a
pedophile can remain active.’” (NL Times, 12/28/17)
Jehovah’s Witnesses to settle sex-abuse case
“A lawsuit is now settled between a former victim of sexual abuse
and Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to the court’s website, the
case is under a ‘conditional settlement.’ The terms and conditions
of the settlement are not public. José Lopez filed the lawsuit
back in 2012, nearly 20 years after church elder Gonzalo Campos
molested him and several other young children who were
members of the Linda Vista congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
… In 2009, five other alleged victims sued the Watchtower and
Bible and Tract Society of New York, the governing body of
Jehovah’s Witnesses, over the molestation by Campos and the
Watchtower’s refusal to act. That case settled for an undisclosed
amount in 2012, the same year that Lopez filed his lawsuit and a
year before another victim, Osbaldo Padron, filed his. … ‘In our
meeting with him he said he was very repentant for what he
did,’ wrote an elder at Linda Vista’s congregation to Watchtower
headquarters in New York in 1999. ‘He stated that he wanted to
return to Jehovah. He is willing to face the victims and ask their
forgiveness. He now wants to obey Jehovah. Before, when he
would speak to people on the platform he would not meditate
on what he was doing. Although he needed to confess, he felt
shameful and had fear of mankind. He would deceive himself
thinking that he could continue serving as an elder. Now he
realized that he could not change without help. Ever since his
expulsion he has not abused anyone. He has read articles of the
publications regarding his sin. He says he does not see or read
pornographic information. He stated that ever since expulsion
he has worked on having a relationship with Jehovah and the
expulsion has served to strengthen him spiritually. He does not
miss meetings, and he even takes notes of the program. He also
said that he is willing to continue accepting Jehovah’s discipline.’
… Lopez’s attorney, Irwin Zalkin, did not respond to a request
for comment prior to publication of this article. There is no word
yet whether Padron’s case has also been settled. A hearing is
scheduled for next month.” (San Diego Reader, 01/12/18)
Russian court not to proceed with appeal against Jehovah’s
Witness property seizure
“The Sestrotretsky District court of St. Petersburg has ruled not
to proceed with an appeal against confiscation of property of
the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, banned in Russia, valued
at 881.5 million rubles (about $15.5 million), until February 9,
RAPSI learnt in the court on Friday. … The appeal was filed by
the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania,
registered in the U.S., which is the recipient of the liquidated
organization’s property [an agreement the Russian court had
concluded was fraudulent in an earlier ruling]. The Jehovah’s
Witnesses assets included 16 property items in St. Petersburg,
according to prosecutors. … In April 2017, the Supreme Court of
Russia ordered liquidation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses managing
organization and all its 395 local branches. In August, the
Administrative Centre of Jehovah’s Witnesses was added to the
list of banned extremist organizations.” (Rapsi, 01/19/18)
Convicted rapist church leader Jeong Myeong-seok soon to
be released
“Self-proclaimed messiah … Jeong [Myeong-seok, a convicted
rapist] is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the rape
and sexual assault of five women across several Asian countries.
The victims were his followers and were told they could be
purified by becoming Jeong’s ‘spiritual brides’ and having sex with
him. The JMS organisation has claimed there are 300 affiliated
churches and more than 100,000 followers in Korea. It also claims
that there are over 10,000 believers around the world and it
operates in a number of other countries including Australia, the
United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan and
Japan. … Recruiters are especially active in university campuses
and shopping centres, often luring young females by offering
them modelling or dancing opportunities, bible study classes or
even sports groups. … Australian Peter Daley is a lecturer in Korea
and has been running an anti-JMS website called jmscult.com for
nearly 15 years. The website provides all the English information
about how JMS operates and how it indoctrinates people. Daley
witnessed the group first-hand when he taught English in the
Korean county of Geumsan in 2002 and claims they are a cult.
… Speaking to SBS Korean Mr Daley warns that Providence will
become more active once Jeong is released next month as it is
a huge moment for his followers, who consider him as a god.
‘Jeong’s release coincides with the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics
and the organisation traditionally uses big events as a recruitment
